Do you have power yet? (LIPA JCPL PSE&G)

I’m going off-topic again but I feel that while the posts about jerseys and fluff are fun (and maybe even why you come here) the blog is best when it is about something.  (Don’t worry there are plenty of Mets related posts to follow today).

Some of you just went through Night 11 with no power and no heat.  Eleven Days!

I went nine nights with no power.  As I have said before, I was chilly, others have real problems like their host being destroyed or maybe even having lost a loved one.  Unfortunately none of us have the power to change any of that.

What we may be able to change is using the power of the people into nagging the utility companies to get their acts together.  I know this was a bad bad storm, but 11 nights without power in the second decade of the 21st century within 50 miles of New York City seems unthinkable.

What’s even more frustrating is the lack of communication.  In my case it was 9 nights of wondering when the power would come back.  The worst part was not knowing any information of when it might return.

In New Jersey Gov. Christie shamed the utilities (JCPL and PSE&G) into posting their estimated timetables.  In my case JCPL responded by posting zeroes.  If you promise nothing you can’t be held accountable for missing the deadline right?  The estimates for my town were zero some days.  On the day I actually got power the estimate was zero.

I have friends still without power.  They have no word.  I heard a local radio host take tons of calls from people who have no information.

In my case by the 8th night I stopped caring about power, just heat.  I was fine reading by candle-light.  I didn’t need TV nor care any more.  I didn’t care about the internet.  I just wanted to be warm.

I’m not exactly sure what we can do, but let’s start with some public shaming.  Do you have power?  Where do you live?  What have you heard?  Which company is responsible? (I’m assuming if you don’t have power you are reading this on mobile or at work.)